Bird & Nature Club
Curved Beak and Talon
The Green Lake Bird and Nature Club will be hosting a SPECIAL PRESENTATION next Tuesday evening, November 11th at 6:00 PM titled “Curved Beak and Talon,” when guest speaker, Dr. Eric Ratering explains the very ancient and extreme form of birdwatching – FALCONRY. Learn about the raptors and equipment he uses, and why, and see a LARGE hunting falcon up close… but (you know), not TOO close!
Eric Ratering has been a licensed falconer for over 50 years and brings his experience and expertise to share with the Green Lake Bird and Nature Club on Veterans Day, November 11th. He will explain the conditions which need to be met to become a falconer, and give examples of how falconry differs around the world. As a practical matter, Eric will reveal techniques of captive breeding, which has almost replaced "wild take" in the US and to an important but lesser extent in the Arab countries where falconry is cultural. He will be demonstrating a wide variety of equipment the modern falconer has at their disposal—some of it unchanged for thousands of years and some engineered and marketed in just the last few months. Eric has bred Peregrine Falcons and Gyrfalcons, and raised and conditioned many for captive breeding using imprinting techniques, which are critical for artificial insemination. Along with some others, he imported the foundation stock of the most widely used goshawks by U.S. falconers, the albidus (white) Russian Goshawk. Of course, he will be bringing a couple of his favorite birds: a Red-naped Shaheen (the smallest subspecies of Peregrines) and a Gyrfalcon, the largest falcon in the world.
Eric is a western Michigan transplant but has lived in Green Lake for the past 49 years. He is retired and still interested in visiting prairies, Canadian fishing and hawk trapping at the Cedar Grove Ornithological Research Station.
This program will take place in the BALLROOM on the second floor of Town Square located in downtown Green Lake (492 Hill Street) and is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Come through the main entrance and take the stairway to your right. Wheelchair and handicap accessibility is also available at the rear of the building, with ample parking near the doorway—watch for signs directing you to the elevator. Bring a snack to share if you wish. Beverages will be available for purchase.
The Green Lake Bird and Nature Club meets every second Tuesday of the month, from September through May. We welcome anyone with an interest in birds and nature.